Positive Interventions for Children with Chronic Illness: Parents' and Teachers' Concerns and Recommendations

Shiu, Shiona

Australian Journal of Education, v48 n3 p239-252 Nov 2004

Schools today are faced with increasing numbers of students with chronic illness. Medical advances, which improve health and prolong life, and increased incidence levels among some illnesses have led to this increase. Children with a chronic illness are more likely to encounter academic, social and emotional difficulties. The challenge facing educators and families is to ensure that these children receive and maintain a quality education. Understanding the complex issues surrounding the delivery of educational services for this body of students enables more insightful programming and planning to ensure that these students have equal access to the same educational outcomes as other students. Five hundred (25 per cent) Department of Education and Training schools across New South Wales were randomly selected to participate in a study examining parents' and teachers' perceptions of educational services for students with chronic illness: 232 teachers and parents responded with completed surveys. This paper examines both concerns and recommendations, and considers how these issues can be tackled. (Contains 2 tables.)